Walking home from work this afternoon the 150 or so BLACK HEADED GULLS were at the College Sports Pitch, before being flushed off, they then sat over on the paddock fences at Migrant Alley, where I saw a small flock of ten LAPWING fly over heading N.
When I got home I saw that the garden was teeming with birds, mostly BLUE and GREAT TITS, but at least 3 COAL TITS and the MARSH TIT were with them, as was a troop of 5 LONG TAILED TITS - 5 Tit species at the garden feeders, cant be bad! I went out into my garden shed for half hour to try and photograph the Marsh Tit - but failed, the light was pretty awful but I did get another Coal Tit photo though, and a GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER :-)
I then put the camera away and headed for the lakes over by the Scrubby Woods, on the way through the Small Holding and Wet woods there were fewer birds about than yesterday, but a couple of GREEN WOODPECKERS were seen, as was a KESTREL, at least two LESSER REDPOLL were heard calling as they flew over the Wet Woods, but nothing much was in the woods itself, except MOORHENS.
I relocated the COOT at the lakes, also there, 4 MALLARDS and a scattering of Moorhens were seen, but then from behind an overhanging tree came into view a real mega for my patch, and I had left the camera at home! A WIGEON (105,69), a fantastic Drake! Well not quite fantastic as it wasn't in full breeding plumage, but it still looked good to me, :-) This is just the second Wigeon record in the 11 years of watching these lakes, the other was in November 2010 when a female visited. Regular followers of this blog will know why I am so excited with this record, as very few duck species visit these Lakes :-) My target of 109 species for this year moves just that bit closer, 4 more new species are needed now :-)
Here's the Coal Tit and Great Spotted Woodpecker photo's I took this afternoon, they are a bit 'furry' but I was working with some real low shutter speeds :-( I just hope the Marsh Tit and Coal Tits are around when the sun finally comes back !
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| Coal Tit |
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| Coal tit |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
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| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
12 comments:
Very well done on the Wigeon, Warren :-) I know what a great bird that is for the patch and your excitement was obvious. A shame you didn't have your camera but of course if you had it wouldn't have been there! I do wish there was a lake so close to me, the nearest is about five miles away and even that is tiny.
I think the photos from your shed/hide are lovely :-)
Thanks Songbird,
The biggest of the three lakes here is not much bigger than 3 Tennis courts!
Nice one Warren, a reward for you at last in these darkening dull days.
Congratulations on the Wigeon. They really are stunning little ducks and I can see how delighted you with it! It just shows what you can find when you watch somewhere as avidly as you do.
Well done!!
Unfortunately Furnace Pond remains very quiet.
Cheers Stephen.
Cracking shots as always Warren and I wish my pictures were as furry as yours! It's gloomy up here too mate with very few birds around.
That Wigeon would be new for here Warren, excellent. :-)
Well done with the Wigeon Warren, a good record for your patch. Three females at New Hythe today too.
Nice add on! Excelente:) I can only imagine the excitement. Hope it's less miserable. Love your woodpecker. A new one for me:)
Well done with the Wigeon mate. Nice one.
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